The so-called "blood diamond" debate is quite immaterial. Who ever said a crown had to have diamonds. I think, more than their being of dubious extraction, it might appear too ostentatious and wasteful to create a Canadian crown covered in diamonds. I think it might be a more stately (and realistic) creation were it gold (or gilt) and enamel--something like that. Red enamel maple leaves and gold half-arches and all that...at least, that's what I imagine. I would like to see something more original than the Durbar Crown, while still retaining the characteristic four half-arches and what-not.

I think Maple leaves would be good. Of course a white and red motiff would be good too. If you were to do something that represented each provence then maybe carve a cameo like pieces like the Swedish tiara. Then of course you could incorporate berries, flowers etc. there is a lot to choose from.

One question I have is who would wear this crown? The queen hardly visits Canada!

Well, the Queen when she visits, of course, but mostly I imagine it would remain on display as a symbol, and used in much the same way that the State Crown is used for the State Opening of Parliament in the UK. Well, except that the G-G wouldn't actually wear it while giving the Speech from the Throne, of course..

Obviously it would do a lot of sitting around in Ottowa, but it might actually be worth it. There could be a competition for the design among Canadian artists, which would be very interesting itself. It could really be a step toward bringing the monarchy into the 21st century,--a study in what a crown means today.

Exactly. Of course, given the general historical trend in hideous Canadian public art, there would need to be some really, really strict guidelines. E.g., must look like an actual crown, must be made of precious metals, must not be made of rotting meat, etc.

What a wondeful idea! Canada should have a crown--and I do believe that maple leaves alternating with some other element would be wonderfully appropriate. I am reminded of the Oak Leaves and acorn tiara which the Duke of Norfolk had created for his bride, Gwendolyn Constable--I have a picture, but no scanner. The Injustice! The design is lovely, although it is a tiara not a crown, it gives a lovely image of diamond leaves.
The crown should not be overly large--but it need not be small, either. I'm envisioning something like the piece HM wears to the opening of Parliament--that's beautiful.
As for an orb--we must have one. Something simple, with simple lines of jewels running about the piece.

__________________Janet

"We make a living by what we do; we make a life by what we give" Winston Churchill

Warren, I can always count on you and your wonderfully extensive library to illustrate or clarify something for me! YOU, Warren, are the GEM!
I do love this piece--the acorns especially. It is truly a magnificant piece of workmanship. I would love to see someone wearing it.

__________________Janet

"We make a living by what we do; we make a life by what we give" Winston Churchill

No, NO, NO , NOOOOOO!!!!!! It must be an absolutely traditional crown with orb and scepter. The whole point, which everybody seems to forget, the monarchy is an atavistic institution. Which is the whole point. It is the celebration of centuries, indeed millenia of dare I say it, tribal unity. The enduring of a civilization and its values and institutions for dozens of generations. The crown is an outward symbol of that unity.

I personally am delighted that Canada has a diamond mine. Surely there must be more out there somewhere. I also know that they have emeralds. Now we must dig up some rubies and sapphires and we will be in business. I guess we will have to import the pearls. Cheers.

No, NO, NO , NOOOOOO!!!!!! It must be an absolutely traditional crown with orb and scepter. The whole point, which everybody seems to forget, the monarchy is an atavistic institution. Which is the whole point. It is the celebration of centuries, indeed millenia of dare I say it, tribal unity. The enduring of a civilization and its values and institutions for dozens of generations. The crown is an outward symbol of that unity.

I agree in theory, but the fact is that Canada is a much more determinedly multicultural society than almost anywhere else in the world. Our national identity is a mosaic; that of the USA for example is a melting pot.

So we should stay away from overtly Christian symbolism and be more inclusive. It's what we do up here :)

Quote:

I personally am delighted that Canada has a diamond mine. Surely there must be more out there somewhere. I also know that they have emeralds. Now we must dig up some rubies and sapphires and we will be in business. I guess we will have to import the pearls. Cheers.

I don't think we would.. there are massive oyster beds in PEI for example.

And who, pray, is going to be diving into the Gulf of St. Lawrence looking for pearls. That water gets COLD. I would have thought that by now there would have been pearl fishing if it were feasable. But it seems not. I still say stick a cross on the contraption, it is simply a way to display more diamonds if nothing else. And there are no Christians in Canada????

There are, of course; I believe that Christianity (all denominations) is the majority religious group in Canada. That doesn't really mean anything, though. The cross pattee is an exclusively and overtly Christian symbol, and thus excludes those of other faiths. Remember of course that while HM is the titular head of the Anglican church, there is no established church in Canada.

The only way to get a crown for Canada without causing a fuss would be to sort of sneak one in between monarchs, for example the first time that the next sovereign visits the country, etc. Otherwise, the Republicans really would throw a fit.